Mara Easterbrook Klebaner

Mara is a seasoned litigator specializing in complex commercial litigation across federal and state courts nationwide. With a passion for creative legal solutions, Mara is committed to achieving optimal outcomes for her clients, whether through trials, alternative dispute resolutions, or favorable settlements.

Mara focuses her practice on complex commercial disputes, including fraud, breach of contract, false claims/qui tam, shareholder disputes, M&A and indemnification disputes, bankruptcy proceedings, and intellectual property (including trade secrets). She has significant experience managing all stages of litigation, including drafting and responding to initial pleadings, conducting discovery, preparing witnesses for testimony, taking and defending depositions, drafting dispositive motions, and participating in court hearings, oral arguments, arbitrations, and trials.

Prior to joining Barack Ferrazzano, Mara was a Senior Managing Associate in the Litigation group at Sidley Austin and previously practiced at White & Case. She clerked for the Honorable Harry D. Leinenweber of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and began her legal career as a litigation fellow with Impact for Equity, where she worked on landmark civil rights cases, including a federal consent decree to reform the Chicago Police Department.

Mara maintains an active pro bono practice, having represented multiple prisoners on Alabama’s death row facing immediate execution dates in federal district court hearings and appellate arguments.

Admissions

• State of Illinois
• U.S. Court of Appeals - 11th Circuit
• U.S. District Court - Northern District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court - Central District of Illinois
• U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Wisconsin

Clerkships

• Hon. Harry D. Leinenweber, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois (2019-2020)

Education

• University of Chicago Law School, J.D., 2016
• University of Chicago, B.A., Law, Letters, and Society, with General Honors, 2013

• Thomas H. Morsch Award for Pro Bono Achievement, Sidley Austin LLP (2023)
• Rising Star Award, National Immigrant Justice Center (2021)
• Pro Bono Award, White & Case LLP (2021)
• Member & Staff Editor, The University of Chicago Law Review (2016)

• Board Member, John Howard Association of Illinois (2023-Present)